Born: 1889 (Santa Barbara, California)
Biography:
Margaret Jessie Chung was born on October 2, 1889, in Santa Barbara, California. She was the eldest of eleven children and grew up in a family that faced financial hardships. Her father worked as the foreman of the Rancho Guadalasca in Ventura County, but due to her parents’ ill health, Margaret took on the responsibility of supporting the family and caring for her younger siblings from a young age.
Margaret Chung’s impressive academic abilities were recognized early on. In 1905, when she was just sixteen years old, she was noted in the Los Angeles Herald as a promising student with ambitions to become a newspaper reporter. The following year, she delivered a poignant poem titled Missionary Giving at the eighteenth anniversary of the Los Angeles Congregational Chinese mission. This was just the beginning of her public speaking career, as she went on to deliver a paper titled Comparisons of Chinese and American Costumes at the first anniversary of the Pasadena Congregational mission in 1907.
Chung’s dedication to education and her remarkable achievements earned her a Los Angeles Times scholarship to study at the University of Southern California (USC). However, she had to work her way through college, taking on various jobs as a waitress and a seller of surgical instruments. She also won cash prizes in several speech contests, demonstrating her exceptional oratorial skills. In 1909, she graduated from USC, becoming an inspiration to many.
Undeterred by the challenges she faced as a young Chinese woman, Margaret Chung enrolled in the university’s medical school in 1911, firmly believing that she was the first Chinese woman to do so in the state of California. She managed to overcome the discrimination she encountered and graduated with a medical degree in 1916. Despite her aspirations to work as a medical missionary in China, she was initially denied such opportunities. She settled for a position as a surgical nurse at the Santa Fe Railroad Hospital in Los Angeles.
Determined to pursue her medical career further, Chung moved to Chicago, where she completed an internship at the Mary Thompson Women’s and Children’s Hospital. She then served her residency at the nearby Kankakee State Hospital, specializing in psychiatry. Her dedication and expertise in the field garnered her the role of resident assistant in psychiatry.
After gaining valuable experience, Dr. Margaret Chung returned to California in the early 1920s. She established one of the first Western medical clinics in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Her clinic provided affordable healthcare to the Chinese community and addressed the healthcare disparities they faced. Dr. Chung’s clinic quickly became a trusted resource for medical care and a symbol of hope for many in the community.
During World War II, Margaret Chung’s contributions extended beyond her medical practice. She served as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy, making her the first Asian woman to be commissioned in the Navy. In this role, she was responsible for recruiting and training Chinese-American women for the Women’s Army Corps. Her dedication and leadership during the war earned her the respect and admiration of her fellow servicemembers.
Throughout her career, Dr. Margaret Chung strived to empower women and improve healthcare access for all. In a profile published in the Los Angeles Herald in 1914, she stated, Women of every nation, every country, should learn medicine, so that they can teach the women of their countries and their races how to care for themselves and their children—how to improve the coming generation. Her advocacy for women’s education in medicine and her commitment to providing healthcare to underserved communities left a lasting impact on society.
Margaret Chung’s legacy as a trailblazer and an advocate for women’s rights and healthcare equality continues to inspire generations. Her determination, resilience, and unwavering dedication to her profession have solidified her place in women’s history. Dr. Margaret Chung defied societal expectations, shattered barriers, and left an indelible mark on the medical field and the fight for gender equality.